MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES VS DODGERS

October 28, 2024

Dave Roberts

Yankee Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 3 Press Conference

Q. Skipper, when you're so close but still so far away, what's the mindset of your team to just still take it one inning, one pitch at a time?

DAVE ROBERTS: That is the mindset, we are so far away. I think just to stay focused and know that we've still got a lot of work to do, a lot of good baseball to play. Today's a new day, we've got a new pitcher, we're in a new ballpark, and we've just got to have that same sense of urgency and play good ball.

Q. Dave, with Shohei Ohtani, how did he come in today? Obviously he's in the lineup, but yesterday you had talked about just pain tolerance and kind of wanting to see and hear from him. What was that conversation like?

DAVE ROBERTS: He was very adamant that he was going to play. I watched him take swings last night in the cage, looked really good, strong. Ball was coming off the bat.

I think there was more uncertainty in all of our minds, but in his mind from day one, from Saturday evening, he was going to play.

Q. You've never managed this team and not gotten to the postseason, but a lot of those seasons have ended in disappointment anyway. Other teams would take that as a real success. What is it like to manage for an organization where the only acceptable outcome is winning the whole thing?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think that Aaron and I have that in common. I guess it's a privilege to be with having those expectations. I love what I do, and I do it because I love the game and the players, and you just kind of, sort of live with whatever result. But, yeah, that's the reality of our two jobs.

Q. You said Shohei was very adamant that he was going to play? Did he mention what his pain level, where his pain level was at all?

DAVE ROBERTS: No, not by any number. Obviously there's some discomfort. I would say it's more discomfort, and that's kind of what I alluded to. It's a subluxation. It's per an individual's tolerance.

Some swings were fine, some swings were a little uncomfortable. But I think for me it was more of we didn't feel he was going to be compromised and he was going to play.

Q. Did the tests come back --

DAVE ROBERTS: It just revealed it as a subluxation. That's all it was. So we are very fortunate.

Q. How much do you guys kind of know what the pitching plan will look like tomorrow, and do you have to kind of balance that as you're going through tonight's game with a bullpen game tomorrow?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, it's certainly a bullpen game tomorrow. I think that that is contingent on tonight, and I say that with all honesty because there's leverage guys in a plus game that I'm going to use. And if the game is kind of middling or a different situation, then I'll use other guys. I just don't know how we're going to come out of it.

But understanding that we still have to cover 27 outs, 9 innings tomorrow to win a ballgame, that's going to be the fallout. And it's all dependent on the usage in tonight's game.

Q. You mentioned that because Shohei's injury was on the shoulder that it was -- that you didn't think it would necessarily affect his hitting, and then you were talking about watching some of his swings. Just for us lay people who didn't hit professionally, what role does the back shoulder play in swing mechanics?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's not -- the front shoulder, I say that it is tougher because typically when a hitter is out in front or fooled, you lose the bat with your backhand. And the right arm -- in this case with a left-handed hitter, that's when you start to get vulnerable when your arm gets away.

The back elbow -- the back shoulder is more connected. It's just less chance to kind of get that exposure with a swing and miss or a ball out in front.

Cody Bellinger did it in '20 with the front shoulder, which he was very careful. But, again, in a vacuum, the back shoulder is better.

Q. Is Brent Honeywell plan A for the opener tomorrow then?

DAVE ROBERTS: No. We're planning on potentially using him, but plan A for the opener to start, probably not.

Q. You want to tell us who plan A is?

DAVE ROBERTS: No.

Q. With Blake Treinen, have you seen some signs recently that the workload is getting to him a little bit?

DAVE ROBERTS: No, I don't think so. I think that, if you look back at the first game, he had plenty of rest going into this series, and then obviously it was a back-to-back. I thought there was some missed pitch locations, some command things, but I would say tonight -- there would be some kind of cost tonight.

But I don't think that -- the workload leading up to the first two games, I think it was kind of in line. Again, this is a situation where tonight I would have to be certain if and when I deploy him tonight.

Q. Just to confirm on the MRI, there was no structural damage at all in the shoulder?

DAVE ROBERTS: No structural damage.

Q. Did he do anything different today or yesterday that was different from Shohei's normal routine?

DAVE ROBERTS: No, he didn't. That was what was encouraging is he essentially did probably 80 percent of his normal routine yesterday. That was encouraging and it wasn't compromised at all.

Q. And with Walker, his stuff took an uptick the last start. Is there anything you can do that gives you confidence that that's something that can sort of stick for a start like tonight?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think that was -- part of the layoff, I think that was some of it. I think some of it was the adrenaline. I could see -- I think that the stuff, the average fastball velocity should mirror that one.

This is his first time pitching against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, so he's amped up. So I do think the stuff is going to hold. It's just now about commanding the spin, the secondary stuff, and pitching to all quadrants with his heater.

Q. You alluded to this a little bit yesterday, but Ohtani, even if he's not 100 percent, what kind of psychological edge is it against the opposing pitcher having him in the lineup?

DAVE ROBERTS: Well, I think it's certainly an edge to us having him in the batter's box. Regardless of what limitations a pitcher might think he might or might not have, not many guys are willing to take that chance. I'm just expecting him to control the strike zone, let the at-bats come to him, and swing and fire when the ball's in a hitting zone.

Again, we're just very grateful that he's in the lineup.

Q. You mentioned that with the subluxation it's a lot of times as tolerated by the individual. In getting to know Ohtani this year, how would you describe his pain threshold, pain tolerance?

DAVE ROBERTS: He definitely does some wincing, balls off the shin and things like that. But when it comes down to it, extremely tough. And this is a big test for him because it's certainly uncomfortable. Not that there was ever any doubt that he was going to post. But he's a competitor, he wasn't going to not be in there.

Q. Simply because it was a partial dislocation, was there any popping it back in sort of treatment?

DAVE ROBERTS: There was initially, yes.

Q. Like Saturday night?

DAVE ROBERTS: Correct.

Q. When Ohtani has a scare stealing a base, does it give you any pause in terms of like how often he should be doing that? He was extremely successful this year, but he's also extremely important. What's the risk/reward there?

DAVE ROBERTS: I try not to typically play -- I don't play that game. You're still playing baseball, and most of his stolen bases equated to runs scored. On this particular instance, I like the two-out stolen base attempt, and it just happened that there was a sublux.

If it were an 8-1 game or a game where the run didn't matter, he probably wouldn't have run. But in this context, they've got to still play baseball.

Q. Is this type of injury one that will heal on its own, or is any procedure going to be needed afterwards?

DAVE ROBERTS: I don't know. I'm hoping it heals on its own and will be an afterthought, but I don't know.

Q. Max mentioned when you were on the bus after the game he sent the group text to the players, don't worry, I'll be all right? Were you aware of that at that time?

DAVE ROBERTS: I wasn't, and it would have been helpful if I saw that thread. I would have slept better Saturday night. (Laughter).

I wasn't privy to that until today, so that would have been helpful.

Q. Do you know has this ever happened to him before?

DAVE ROBERTS: No, not that I know of.

Q. Also, my understanding of this in covering it is that, once it does happen, there's a chance of it happening again.

DAVE ROBERTS: I think that's fair, yes.

Q. Following up on Tyler's question, will Shohei still have the green light on the base pads?

DAVE ROBERTS: I don't think he'll be running. I don't think he'll be running.

A. And he's slid numerous times this year. I think he's a great slider. What happened on that slide specifically?

DAVE ROBERTS: I don't know. You can look at all the 50 stolen bases that he had. It's the same slide. I don't know the answer.

Q. You kind of mentioned it there, but is this something you're going to have to check in with him tomorrow?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yes, I will. I'll check in with him, but I don't expect a different answer. But yes, absolutely.

Q. Is Ohtani still getting treatment?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yes. Just finished the hitters meeting. It's constant treatment and just making sure he's in a good spot, but yeah, he is.

Q. If this were the regular season, would Shohei be playing?

DAVE ROBERTS: You know what, that's probably a better question for Shohei, to be honest with you. I think that if the trainers felt that he wasn't compromised and wanted to be out there and could be out there, I would have no problem.

I think that, because it's the World Series, I think the question is moot.

Q. With Shohei, just how would you describe your emotions going from Saturday night when you see him get hurt, to now being able to put him in the lineup today?

DAVE ROBERTS: Saturday night to yesterday when I saw him in the cage hitting balls 102 miles an hour off a tee, that was joy. So now it's more of just kind of he's in there and I'm just thinking about the game. I'm not really thinking about kind of where he's at physically. He's in the lineup, so that's all I'm thinking about.

Q. I'm going to switch off of Shohei just for a second.

DAVE ROBERTS: Thank you.

Q. I don't think you've seen Clarke Schmidt this year at all. Only the two Hernandezes, Teo and Kiké, and I think Shohei in an early game last year saw him. When you don't have familiarity with a starting pitcher, especially in a game of this magnitude, how does that affect your guys versus somebody you've seen before?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's different. I think that obviously there's a lot of technology, there's information, there's video. You're kind of looking at heat maps.

But I think that, until you get in the box to see how lively his cutter is or what the sweeper characteristics in the batter's box to righty or how much the ball is sinking with depth or run. So those things that you've got to go in there and kind of learn yourself.

Yeah, I guess probably it's typically an advantage to the pitcher who hasn't -- so I'd say the same thing for Walker in his case. But you're still trying to gather information and see how that stuff's playing that particular night.

Q. I was going to give you a break from Shohei questions too. How do you handle the balancing act of you're trying to win obviously, but also managing the bullpen and trying to make sure guys don't get seen too often by opposing hitters and all that. How does that work?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I think the game tells you how to respond. There's a certain bet on how much you want to keep pushing and try to deploy guys to keep the game as close as you can, live to fight another day type thing, go for the jugular type thing.

As much as you can obviously minimize runs, see their relievers as much as you can, that's a benefit. Taking a long and short view of the series kind of weighs into my decision-making. So it's a constant kind of weaving in and out. But my pitching coaches do a great job of helping me to kind of sift through it.

Q. Dave, as you've gotten to know Ryan Brasier, what have you come to like about him, and how is he different than when you saw him in the World Series when he was with the Red Sox?

DAVE ROBERTS: I like him more now. I think he's very calm. I like guys that have pitched in a hot box in huge baseball markets, sports markets, as he did in Boston. I like that.

I just think that he can command the baseball. He's fresh right now, so I like where he's at physically. Like I said, he commands the baseball, he's been in a hot box, he's pitched in the World Series. He's in my trust tree for sure.

Q. Going back to Shohei conversation, but you say he's getting treatment. Is he getting medication or shot or tape on the shoulder? If he has a taping on the shoulder, how much limit does he have for the swinging?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's all of the above on the treatment and stuff. The tape is just protecting and stabilizing, not really limiting.

Q. When Tyler went down for the season, the players met, and it seemed to be a turning point. Can you recall that moment? And why do you think that moment in particular sparked them?

DAVE ROBERTS: They just all came together. They all came together and knew we had a big loss in Tyler, and they just banded together. So I do think that -- you know, give credit to the guys that knew that we lost a big piece to the puzzle but realizing that they had enough talent and camaraderie in the clubhouse.

So they just all kind of came together, and that was certainly a good turning point for us.